This invention relates to an electric connector used mainly for connecting electric wiring of an automobile, and effects fitting connection and disconnection of a pair of opposed housings relative to each other by operating cam members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,771 discloses a connector assembly as shown in FIG. 5. The connector assembly comprises first and second housings a and b and a camming slide c. The first and second housings a and b contains male metal terminals e and female metal terminals d, respectively.
The camming system comprises slots in the first housing a, cam tracks in the second housing b, and cam followers on the camming slide C.
The slots a2 are formed in a hood a1 of the first housing a so as to guide the camming slide c fitted on this hood a1.
Cam followers c1 are formed on opposed internal surfaces of the generally U-shaped camming slide c, and are adapted to be fitted respectively in the slots a2 to be projected into the hood a1.
The cam tracks comprises entrance portions b1 formed in opposite sidewalls of the second housing b for respectively receiving the cam followers c1 therein, and intermediate portions b2, respectively, extending from the entrance portions b1 diagonally.
In the above construction, when the first and second housings a and b are to be mated or coupled to each other, the second housing b is, first, located in alignment with the first housing a to which the camming slide c is assembled, such that the left endwalls of the second housing abuts locating surfaces of the camming slide and first housing, as shown in FIG. 6A. The second housing b is, then, moved inwardly from the position of FIG. 6A so that the cam followers c1, respectively, enter the entrance portions b1 as shown in FIG. 6B. After that, the camming slide c is moved to the position of FIG. 6C. During such movement of the camming slide c, the cam followers c1 will move relatively through the intermediate portions b2 and move the second housing b into coupled relationship with the first housing a.
In the above conventional art, the cam followers c1 of the camming slider c are fitted in the respective intermediate portions b2 of the cam tracks through the respective slots a2, thereby fitting the second housing b into the first housing a with a small force. This construction is used for a multipolar connector having many metal terminals d and e.
However, with an increased number of poles, the opening of the hood a1 is increased in size, and pin-like distal end portions e1 of the male metal terminals e projected into this opening remain exposed. Therefore, there is a risk that during the assembling operation, the pin-like portion el may strike against a projecting object f, such as a tool, to be deformed.
Further, if the cam followers c1 are remote from a force applying point c2 of the camming slider c, the force can not sufficiently be transmitted, and as a result the camming slider c is deformed, and also the degree of interconnection of many metal terminals d and e becomes uneven, thus posing another problem that it is difficult to smoothly fit the first and second housings a and b together.